(FoxNews) - The second nurse infected with Ebola at a Texas hospital was identified Wednesday as 29-year-old Amber Vinson, while authorities expressed concern that she took a domestic flight just one day before coming down with symptoms of the deadly disease.
"The second health care worker should not have been allowed to travel by virtue of being in an exposed group," he added. "Although she had no symptoms or fever [that met the threshold] of 100.4, she did report that she took her temperature and found it to be 99.5."
Vinson, who like Nina Pham is a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, was identified to Reuters and the Dallas Morning News by a relative. Vinson went to the hospital displaying symptoms of the disease on Tuesday morning, after taking a Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Monday night. Federal health officials are now tracking down all of Vinson's fellow passengers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.
“The patient traveled to Ohio before it was known that the first health care worker was ill," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said during a telebriefing Wednesday. "At that point, that patient, as well as the rest of the health care team, were undergoing self-monitoring.”
Ohio health officials aren't sure how many people came into contact with a Texas nurse as she visited family in the Akron area days before being diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas.
The Ohio Department of Health says she visited family from Oct. 8-13 and flew Monday from Cleveland to Dallas.
Frieden said that because Vinson was not vomiting or having other symptoms on the plane, the risk to other passengers remains extremely low. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC said they will be reaching out to all the passengers and crew who were on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Oct. 13.
Airline crew members said the female health care worker was reportedly not exhibiting symptoms during the flight.
The CDC said it will begin interviewing the 132 passengers on the flight, answering their questions, and scheduling follow-up meetings on Wednesday.
Vinson will be transported to Emory University Hospital for treatment, the CDC said in a teleconference Wednesday.
Vinson is the second confirmed hospital worker to become infected after having direct contact with Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola on Oct. 8. Pham, 26, also cared for Duncan and has contracted Ebola. After being quarantined, she received a blood transfusion earlier this week from recovered patient Dr. Kent Brantly. Pham has since progressed from “stable” to “good” condition, Texas health officials said in a press conference Wednesday morning.
“Our investigation increasingly suggests that the first several days before the [index] patient was diagnosed appear to be the highest risk,” said Frieden. "These two workers both worked those days and had extensive contact with bodily fluids [like] vomit and diarrhea from the index patient.”
“Some health care workers were putting on 3-4 layers, taping parts of protective gear in the belief this would be more protective,” Frieden added. “But in fact, by putting on more layers of gloves and other protective clothing, it becomes much harder to put them on, much harder to take them off … and the risk becomes much higher.”
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the city has sent a team to Vinson's apartment to disinfect her home and the inside of her car, which will be removed this afternoon.
“Like Nina Pham [a nurse, and the first health care worker at the hospital to test positive for Ebola], this is a heroic person, a person who is dedicating her life to helping others and is a servant leader,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said in a press conference Wednesday morning.
Officials confirmed that within 90 minutes of reporting a fever, the second health care worker’s temperature was taken and she was placed in isolation.
Preliminary tests were run at the state public health lab in Austin and results came back at approximately midnight Wednesday. A separate test will be done this morning at the CDC in Atlanta.
Officials have said the health care worker was interviewed quickly to identify any contacts or potential exposures, and that others will be monitored. The type of monitoring will depend on the nature of their interactions with the health care worker, and the potential of exposure to the virus.
Preliminary tests were run at the state public health lab in Austin and results came back at approximately midnight Wednesday. A separate test will be done this morning at the CDC in Atlanta.
Officials have said the health care worker was interviewed quickly to identify any contacts or potential exposures, and that others will be monitored. The type of monitoring will depend on the nature of their interactions with the health care worker, and the potential of exposure to the virus.
Frontier Airlines said it was working closely with the CDC to notify passengers who may have traveled on the flight.
The CDC requested that passengers call 1-800-CDC INFO for further information.
“This second health care worker case is very concerning, and our thoughts go out to her and her family,” said Frieden. “The current investigation is identifying other health care workers who will be monitored, and we are planning for the possibility of additional cases in the coming days.” LINK
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